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The Mongolian Invasion of China

Uploaded by unknownscreenname on Jul 17, 2006

On a present-day map we see Mongolia as a small country hidden away in East Asia between China and Russia, two of the most powerful nations in the world today. Few would believe that such a small country could have ever succeeded in conquering both China and Russia. But back in the early 13th century the Mongolians did conquer both China and Russia, along with many more lands. In doing so the Mongolians created the largest land empire in world history. The Mongolians had a lasting effect on the areas that they conquered and made them the way they are today.

The western world thinks of the Mongolians as being ruthless aggressive barbarians conquering all the lands. This is in part true because the Mongolians were a fearsome group that used terror tactics in order to succeed. The Mongolians were a nomadic group of people and were aggressive indeed. In fact the Mongols learned to ride horses and shoot arrows from when they were small children and they were so good that “when mounted they could hit a man at distances of between 200-400 meters” (Chapter 5, The Mongol Army). The Mongols, being the strict peoples that they were, were disciplined harshly. The punishment of any crime was death. This discipline is what allowed the Mongols to conquer different lands.

Mongolia was a land with very few natural resources. It was barren and mountainous. It was hard to live in Mongolia and you had to know the terrain well. That is why the Mongols could not be farmers. Instead, they were hunters and gatherers and they raised animals as well which is why they became such good horsemen. The Mongols also herded sheep, goats, yaks and oxen. The Mongols relied on herding. The Mongols also relied on trade in order to succeed. From 1180-1220 the temperature dropped in Mongolia and this was a bad thing because it meant less grass could grow. Also, the Chinese tried to reduce trade with Mongolia. Because the Mongolians couldn’t trade and couldn’t grow the grass instead for their animals, they had to move around. That is why in the year 1211 the Mongolians attacked China and conquered it.

The leader of the Mongols was Genghis Khan. He led the Mongols during their conquests. He learned how to survive in Mongolia from his mother because his father was assassinated when he was 9. His knowledge helped him to...